Liquid gauge



March 3', 1931. j, 1 WILT 1,794,815

LIQUID GAUGE Filed April 22. 1929 A TTORNE YS.

Patents-1MM. 3, 193i LIQUIDGAUGE'. f y

,Application med Apii4 22,

f My inventionrelates in'y general to gauges' convenient association with the' radiator .ill-

ing cap, and. is also adapted not only to take care of escaping steam,but also to take. ad-

vantage of'the internal pressure when the water is boilingfco cause the gauge tozdisclose vthis factin addition toits indication of thev liquid level; i L 1 l To this end, my inventionconsists, in'assoya wafer-cooled radiator of `'an internal combustion engine, of an indicator member, and

y fioat actuated means for effecting distinctive changes of'position of said lmember informa A l n y a vent 3a. There 1s also a cross partition or t tive both of volume` and pressurecondition of .the liquid.

, It also` consists in the novel construction,

arrangement and combinationof parts com-- K prising the gauge, as I shall'hereinaftervfully explain, by reference to the' accompanying drawings, in which I have shown my gauge in its preferred form, it being understood that y 'p rotatably throughthe closedupper end^9a of Q80 50 .changes may be made in details thereof without departing from the spirit of the invention as defined in'the lclaims'hereunto ap- In the' drawings f f Fig. 1 is a verticalsection of my gauge.

Fig. 2 is a sectional ,detail showing the indicator in elevation," in orderto disclose the informative Zones on its periphery, and lifted to indicatepressure.

Fig. 1. y

Fig. 4 is a cross section, enlarged, on the line 4-4 of Fig. 1.

1 is a cap such as i-s used to cover the filling opening of a container, for example, the radiator of a water-cooled combustion engine.

2 isa tubular nipple, the lower end 'of which Y passes through the cap 1, and has fitted to it, in alignment therewith, the float-housing cylinder 3. Gaskets 4 in number and nature suit-L Y indicia. Ay color difference', such as alternate ciationlwith and fitted to the capA of the fillingv f opening. of aV liquid'container, for example,

axis. .1

kmediate its head andfoot, the shaft passes through the crossv baffle Sof the float housing Fig. 3 is a cross section on the line 3-3`of vand axially slidable and devoid of stuffing 1929. sensiiragjs'zpla l p i y u Y able for( the purposefcomplete the` joint tween theseveral parts. f

' T helower endfofth'enipple is closed by a cross baiiie 2a 'andiin thefnipplewallabove the ycap are vents 2b, above whichis across 55 partition or baffle. The top lofthenipple is closed by a screw cap' havinga cen-l tral guide socket .6a. "In ythel wall of. the nipple'between the screwcap 6 and the baiiie 5 are the sight openings 20, one in front and one behind. Within the space orchamber formed between thecap l6 and the lbaffle 5 is anindicator 7, in the formk -of a disk, bearing upon it'speripherythe necessary `informative red7a` and iwhiteb, as shown in'Fig. Q, is preferred, arranged in quarter zones. lThese color zones appear in registry with'th'e sight openings 2c asthe indicator disk turns on its In the wall of the float housingcylinder3 lis baffle 8 within said cylinder. The lower end ofthe cylinder'is fitted with a lfoot cap 9.

sediment.` Within the foot-,cap 9 is 'an-opensided depressed bearing strip 9b.

11 is a shaft. v Its foot passes slidably and `the foot cap 9 and isfreelystepped in thedepressed bearing strip 96. Its head freely enters and has vertical'play in the socketa ofy thehead screw'capfof the nipple 2:- Intercylinder 3, through the closedlbaffle end 2a of the nipple 2, and through cross baffle 5 of said nipple,in all of which it is both rotatable i shaft 11, and rotates therewith.`

The shaft is of cylindricallsection froinits head down to a point belowthe crossbaffle'. and thence to its foot its section is flat and has a quarter twist. l Y.

12 is a float within the housing cylinder 3, adapted for vertical movement due to the varying liquid level, but it is locked Aagainst rotation on its axis by'a suitable vslide con- 100 nection With the housing cylinder, as, for example, the ribs 3b onthe cylinder and the grooves 12a in the float. The float is slideably itted uponvand engages the twisted section of the shaft 1l, thus providing for the rotation of the shaft by the rise and fall of the float. Upon shaft'll, below the cross baffle Sis a collar Which forms a vaive 13' adapted by an axial movement of the shaft to close the passage or port in the baffle 8.

' In the operation ofthe device, the level and consequent volume of Water in the radiator is indicated by therturning of the disk 7, due to the rotation of .the slt-iaftll occasioned'by the vertical movement of the float l2, the White and-'redzones vonv the disk shoiving` the rise and fall of the Water level. 1

ln cases Where.v the v'Water becomes hot, as in the radiators of Water cooled internal combustionV engines, the matter of preventing steamand Water blow-off fiomfollowing the emerging Vindicator-operating shaft, is to be taken into consideration; and inthis connection the most obvious solution is a stuffing- Y box. I have found, however, that bearings formed by the relatively freepassage of the shaft through a plurality of baffle plates, such as the baffles 8, 2a and 5 here shovvn, taken in connection With th'evalve 13 controlling the passage through the lowest baffle, is a simple and' ei'licient expedient and is less likely to clog or get out of order. Especially is it efcient, Vand even quite necessary, for my additional obj ect herein of providing for and insuring the axial movement of the shaft 11 in order Vto give to the indicator disk 7 a second distinctive position as l shall noiv explain. When the ivater boils, the pressure within the radiator acting through the float l2 and the valve 13 lifts the shaft ll thereby not only closing the valve against the -loivest batlie, but alsolifting the indicator disk 7 slightly, but sufciently to recognize the positional change and thereby know that the water is boiling. This elevated or second position is shownin Fig. 2; The depressed open sided step 9o for the loiver end of the shaft 11 permits iushing to keep 'it clear, and in connection With the screen l0 insures the proper freedom from accumulation of sediment, which is desirable in gauging radiator Water. `The upper baffle 5 in connection with the underlying vents 2b, for the escape `of any steam Whichrm'ay pass the baflies, provides for a protected chamber in Whichthe indicator disk 'Tis housed. v

I claim :--`V

1. A liquid level' gauge comprising a liquid container cap; a tubular nipple and a hous ing cylinder tted to and through said cap in connected alignment; a rotatable, axially movable shaft Within said nipple and cylinder; a cross baffle plate in said cylinder, through Which the shaft freely passes; a valve on the shaft adapted by the axial movement of said shaft, to close and open the passage through the baffle plate; an indicator disk fixed on the shaft Within the nipple;

`,the lowermost baiile plate; an indicating disk liixed to said shaft withinachamber formed by the Auppermost baiile Yplatein theupper portion of the nipple abovethe nipple vente; a {io-at in the housing cylinder; and means dependent upon the rise andfall of said float to rotateand axially move said shaft.

3. A liquid levelgauge comprisinga liquid container cap; a tubular nipple and a housing cylinder fitted to and through said cap in connected alignment, said nipplehaving vents; ahead cap on said nipple a foot mem- Vber Yon said cylinder having a depressed open sided step` bearing and a bottom screen; a shaft` mounted between said head cap and said'stepbearing for rotative and axial lmovement; plurality of V'cross baffleV plates through which the shaft freely passes; `a

valve on the shaftv to close and open' the pas sage through the loiv'ermost baille plate; an indicating disk fixed to saidsha'ft Within a chamber formed by the uppermost :baille plate in the upper portion of the nipple above the nipple vents; a float in the housing cylinder; and means dependent upon the rise'a-nd fall of said Vfloat to rotate 'and axially move said shaft. Y v

t. A liquid level gauge comprisiiigan indicator; a shaft to which said indicator is fixed, said shaft being mounted for rotative and axial movement; mea-ns dependent upon the respective movements ofsaid shaft to effect respective distinctive positional 'changes of saidindicatoi'; a float; and means dep-end ent upon the risef'and V'fall Vof said' float to rotate and axially move said shaft.

In testimony whereof I have signed my name to this specification:

JOHN i.v WILT. 

